Hi Aitch - I think I have sent you an email about putting together a BLW book - not sure if you got it - can you let me know (my computer is eating some of my sent emails at the moment :-( !! )

Ali

I have been bombarding/nagging/pestering Aitch with emails about getting a book started as well. The combined talents and experiences of all the Mums on this site must be able to get something off the ground!

Just wondered if anyone has actually contacted any publishers? How about starting with Random House who publish the Annabel Karmel books???

lol!

Is there really no-one out there reading this with contacts in the publishing world? Every time I log on to this site I think there could be some fab books made from this....a recipe book to start with maybe? I'm sure it would sell like hot cakes!! Unfortunately I don't have a clue how to go about doing it - I am sure you have been looking into it though Aitch?

Who needs a publisher?! I think if someone wrote a book, it would sell on ebay. There are loads of 'specialist' homemade books on there. (I found out when I was training as a driving instructor, loads of people give thier own views how to pass). And I know loads of people who would be interested in BLW if they didn't have to search the net for info. Word of mouth, or forum, and I'm sure it would take off. Sell enough and then take it to a publisher.
If Aitch did it, it could even say 'Star of PP!'

Really? Hmmmm, food for thought.

Go on.....write it. We'll make sure it becomes a best-seller!!

I just went to Tesco to buy it. I'm absolutely shocked! It's a terrible article, it starts off great reading Aitch's comments - but I'm sure some of it must be misquoted(?) Then the way it rips into the choking risk (did you really agree there's a risk of choking?) and quotes a couple of experts who disagree with it and of course Queen AK! They rip Gill apart (gee someone else!) and have no one officially saying that it is good, they even misquote government guidlines to make it look less BLW! There's no mention of the fact that a lot of professionals are now advising it or that there are NHS's that are supporting it.

And how bad is it to then have the spread?

I went to a weaning talk put on by our area NHS dietician and someone asked about BLW - she was very defensive and blamed the child for not wanting a spoon which is a shame. Anyway, the dietician said they were not allowed to comment because the choking risk, however small, was too much for government guidelines.

This is also why nurseries now have to cut their cherry tomatoes, grapes etc in half because of the little girl that choked last (?) year.

However, she did say the puree stage (ie stage 1 of the official weaning) should only last 2 weeks if you start at 6 months and by 7/8 months they should be feeding themselves anyway.

I have to admit, she is really good and loves to see a child feeding him/herself so I would hazard a guess she'd like to endorse it but her employer won't let her.

Hello,

I've never commented on this site before though I'm a frequent reader as I BLW-ed my now 19 month old (with great success).

I just wanted to say that the first place I came across it was in an issue of Junior Pregnancy and Baby (I've only ever seen it sold in WH Smith - a really lovely magazine full of very expensive things! It was in the Spring 2006 issue) and they were actually really positive about it in the article. They reported it really positively and it was the reason I ended up looking into the whole BLW and deciding to go down that route myself.

S x

hi fjolat,
that was the very same article i heard about, some friends of mine were talking about it at an NCT meet-up so i googled Gill and we were off. coincidentally... i have a nineteen-month-old as well.

Tink, I'm goiing to have to go back and look at my quotes again, i did notice that they were substantially altered but didn't see anything about choking. thing is, there's always a choking risk with, er, anything goiing into the mouth... it's whether you're prepared for it and ca handle it that's important. i mean, every parent in the country should have an infant resus course under their belt in my opinion. you never know what's going to happen in a swingpark with someone else's child... as i found out not so long age. turns out the heimlich manoeuvre ocmes pretty naturally in a crisis!

It's funny when you get used to someone speaking in type you can always tell them when it's annonymous or if someone is trying to copy them.

I just reread it, you're not quoted, she just says that you said that parents should take the risk of choking seriously.

I find it funny that the dietritcian says about lack of "nutritional variety" Tink eats more than other children her age and older and has always ate more than three ice cubes a day! And they have spoken about milk not being enough, funny how it's only not enough for our babies, yet it is in other countries and eras!

Thing is, though, all this publicity is a good thing. it doesn't have to universally endorse BLW, there are some interesting debates to be had about how 'seriously' to take it etc, but any woman with an ounce of sense can think 'that sounds interesting' and then go and do some more research herself. and the ones who don't have an ounce of sense? well, with the best will in the world they were never likely to stray too far from the herd anyway... in five years they'll be on board but it's all very new still.

I'm on the hunt for a copy of the mag so I can read the article but I do find all of this debate on such topics absolutely intriguing.

As the UK moves into being more of a 'nanny state' it seems that people/mothers/parents are losing their instincts and rely more and more on being told what to do by the likes of HVs/AK/Gina Ford. I'm not saying that owning one or two books for reference is a bad thing, and I have used the ones I own, I also seek information on the internet but really since finding this BLW site have become so much more relaxed about child rearing. Oh I'm sure there will be other greater topics to come (and noboby alerted me to the fact that tantrums would start at 15 months) but I certainly feel that my common sense and instinct for what is best is going to play a huge part.

It's interesting now that my antenatal friends who all chose the conventional puree route are now wowed by the Pickle's eating/use of cutlery and regularly ask me for my recipes whilst they watch her put away adult sized portions of spanish omelette, sandwiches, lentils, pancakes etc etc etc.

Sorry for the long post, seems I've been talking to walls today and need to get out more.

Re: Post about Ghanaian HV's advice on breastfeeding - how I wish I'd been given that advice in hospital. Well with no 2 on the way I will remember that.

I bought the mag yesterday so I could read the article & I was really disappointed with the way the magazine portrayed BLW. If I hadn't already done my own research I would have thought from that article that you lot were all hurting your children by not giving them variety of food & nutrients. I know from this website that that is so not true.

I think it is a shame that the magazine is so biased although I do understand why. The publishers hold so much power by giving out advice in their magazine, it should be used more objectively.

I bought a copy yesterday, and had to be physically separated from it by DH whem my ranting got too much. Then he read it and ranted over comments on the lack of variety (do any AK recipes for 1 year olds include squid, sushi, duck, or thai green curry ? all of which DS will stuff down given half a chance - and now when he sees anything he wants you get lipsmacking noises and a rapid move towards the unshared food).
Am going to complain to them about AK recommending weaning at 5 months as there wasn't even a proper disclaimer on there.
I too read the Junior (I love reading about cashmere babygros that I'd never buy) article about BLW when I was pg and knew that was what I wanted to do. Friend with 5 month old at the time who had started weaning at 4 months and was dedicated AKer thought that it was nonsense... At a recent christening her daughter had to have her food cut into tiny pieces and bland whilst DS ate everything in sight..

I found a copy yesterday and had a read - hhhmmmm exceptionally biased piece of AK promotional material to run just as she releases her weaning sets at Mothercare.

Just wondered, does anybody know what AK's formal qualifications are? nutrionist?

Yeah I loved the recommendation to wean at 5 months.....

cellist

I had a look at her bio on her website. She playeed harp until she had children and after her first baby died (unrelated) she decided to become interested in baby food. She hasn't got any formal qualifications (as I can see) and believes being a musician helps.

ah, harpist, not cellist. certainly not a nutritionist.
not that there's anything wrong with an unqualified person trying to help people wean their children, ahem, but she might at least stick to the Dept of Health guidelines.

Yes. After I read that I was getting really irrate.

Why is it that we are more than happy to believe someone with no qualifications who has products to sell, but someone with qualifications who has done research we aren't?

to be fair to her, though, i think she does say that she has worked with nutritionists on her books, so they have been thoroughly checked out. that's what surprised me about her voicing an opinion about when babies should be weaned without also pointing out that she was completely unqualified to make such a sweeping statement.

Haven't seen the mag yet - will check it out, but I trust you lot on the content and think we should mass-mail the editor with letters of response for publication. They have to be a wee bit more careful with their editing when it's direct from a contributor rather than via a journo, although that doesn't of course stop them from completely ignoring it.

I've just seen this on the Netmums website. very strange to ask for "bad" experiences only..she must have been desperate to find someone to say something anti-BLW.
Its in the Media Request section accessed via Coffeehouse Chat.

Baby Led Weaning - bad experiences.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi

I'm a freelance journalist working on a feature on Baby Led Weaning for Practical Parenting magazine and I'm looking for some mums who would be willing to share their experiences of BLW with our readers.

I'm looking for mums who have had bad experiences with BLW. For example someone whose baby choked on finger foods and who has been careful about what they put in their mouth ever since.

I would need to do a brief phone or email interview and would also need them to supply a photograph of themselves with their child(ren)/their child(ren) for publication.


Ceri Roberts
ceriroberts@hotmail.com

Well she must have been desperate with the half a grape story!

That is totally outrageous, I can't believe that she would do that. Maybe she looked and all she could find everywhere was people saying how great it is and how well their babies did and to make it "balanced" she needed to look for bad experiences.

seriously, don't blame her. she really didn't have an axe to grind on the subject, it was her editor... however as you pointed out she couldn't find a single person who had a bad experience with BLW, which has got to be positive. hence the wholly tenuous 'my baby was weaned on purees then choked on a grape at the age of one and is completely fine therefore i wouldn't do BLW with my next baby' case study.

Write a book, Aitch! I'll buy it!

I'll buy it AND recommend it to all my friends

(ups the ante)

I emailed the author of this piece to ask why only bad experiences had been requested on NM and had this reply:

"Feature for Practical Parenting is actually already done and on sale now!

The reason I needed a negative experience is because all my other case studies were very positive and my editor insists that I write a balanced feature and show both viewpoints - she actually accused me of being overly positive!

Thanks for getting in touch"

Re AK advising weaning at 5 months, I've seen her quoted many times to this effect (as in "the DoH says you should wean at 6 months, but I, a qualified musician [ok she didn't say that bit] think 5 months is best....")

Re magazine articles, did anyone see a "diary" piece in the most recent "Mother & Baby" which quoted a mum who had started her infant on baby rice at 3 months (!) because "he was showing all the signs of being ready..." ?? They did attach a disclaimer to the effect that the WHO recommends 6 months, but then went on to completely negate this by accompanying the article with a picture of the little one being fed from a jar, with an approving - or at least, certainly not disapproving - caption.

I really must stop reading these magazines, they don't do my health or sanity the slightest bit of good.

Mentioning no names in case there is anyone reading this but I go on another forum where some people have been weaning their babies from 10 weeks.

If you voice to harsh an opinion you do get verballed alot (is that even a word?!) so I tend to keep schtum. Basically, a growth spurt to some people is the equivalent to being ready for solids!

Scary that these people are bringing up children that will one day run our country!

Yes, that makes me angry on a forum I use.

There are some issues that are personal choice and I respect that, but some things are so wrong that I can not respect it. Here's one to not get me started on!

Oh and the "I know my child better than anyone" line... Yes, fine "I know she's ill" but "I know her internal workings better than anyone"? I don't think so!

LOL! I know what you mean. The old chestnut "I was weaned at x weeks and I'm fine" argument. I was weaned early and yes I'm fine but I have hayfever, exzema and I'm short :o)

I'm not sure how much I can blame on the weaning but that's the point - you have to rely on the science.

I didn't think it was balanced let alone positive!

From a personal experience point of view it was tipped to positive, but from a professionals point of view it was tipped to negative. Why was there no professional saying yes I think this is great and I tell all my patients to do it?

The Health Visitors in Wandsworth are pushing BLW now, and I think another mum I met said they're running courses on it too!

When my HV found out I was doing it, (we went in for our 8 month check, Cheeky was doing some serious damage to a whole apple) said her personal opinion is that its the way forward, but she couldn't say that out loud as it were.

That's really interesting about Wandsworth. In Westminster, the official line from the dietician who does the weaning class & feeding clinic is "there is too much of a choking hazard for us to officially comment and/or assist".

My HV wasn't too keen either despite my going to the effort of printing a load of information for her! I can really see why people do this sort of thing in secret as some HVs are really scary!

did you print this out for her? it's from the Healthy Start NHS website...


"Finger foods

From six months, you can start giving your baby finger foods - foods they can pick up and eat themselves. This encourages them to chew, and teaches them how to feed themselves. They're also quick and simple to prepare.

Here are some ideas:

* Small pieces of pitta bread
* Sliced banana
* Chopped up peach
* Raw or cooked and cooled carrot sticks or green beans
* Small cubes of cheese

Always stay near your baby when they're eating finger foods, to make sure they don't choke."

I think I gave her the Gill Rapley report at her recent post-natal group. Despite being in the "trade" for 30 years she's still a learn to chew with purees woman - brainwashed!

aaaargh! It's hysterical really - the misconception that you're not being "balanced" unless you can find views for and against everything. I get the impression sometimes that in order to write an article about how the earth orbits the sun, they'd go searching for people who firmly believe the opposite (no evidence necessary, just belief) because otherwise the piece wouldn't be "balanced".

Sorry; bugbear of mine.

i know it's funny isn't it. who cares about accuracy, the important thing is that it's balanced...

I thought this would interest you all... I haven't read the Practical Parenting article but I think that someone who opposed BLW was a woman from my antenatal 'imaginary friends' forum. Anyhow she's now doing finger foods with her baby and said this:

"I am with the whole baby led weaning thing now I'm on my 3rd despite what I said in Practical Parenting this mth - lol. I just had a bad experience with choking when DD1 was 1 - the whole blue face thing was awful. Just agree you gotta supervise."

So onward rolls BLW towards world domination (with snow on its boots)

How funny, think how desperate they must have been to get a negative quote if they were prepared to use her example... bonkers.

I've not read the article but I did read the article in Junior Pregnancy and Baby. If I remember rightly (I could be wrong, I've had a baby since then) it wasn't a "balanced" for/against article JUST an article about BLW. A good one at that as it seems to have brought a number of us here. I think advertising is pushing the bias. We clearly need more BLW 'products', AK has a million useless items that will help feed baby. But now I think about it one of the reasons I love BLW is that there's no faff with 'special' baby things. Mmmm just getting annoyed here by the injustice of it. Off the calm down!!

That is the main reason I love it. Just a case of here's some veg that was on my plate and off you go. Although I have bought the Organix rice cakes as I can't find any salt free ones anywhere else - need to have another look in the supermarket.

Sounds like they were scraping the barrel for bad experiences. Probably with a weaning spoon ;o)

Anybody read Junior this month. Lovely little bit on BLW all positive and full of good sense.